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The Ecosystem

HomeWhat is Longleaf?The EcosystemHabitats

Habitats

Longleaf pine forests covered an extensive geographical range. Perhaps what is taken for granted is how diverse this forest type was (and is) across the landscape.

Seeing longleaf pine forests today, many people often (erroneously) assume that the species is relegated to dry sandy ridges or steep south-facing slopes. On the contrary, areas too steep, too dry to farm or too poor to grow loblolly or slash pine are, for the most part, merely a vestige of the richness that once was the longleaf pine ecosystem.

For thousands of years, subtle differences in soils and topography influenced fire behavior, site productivity etc. This affected the composition of the forest, e.g., groundcover plants, insect and animal species, and tree height, to name a few.

These habitat types can generically be lumped into four groups: montane, sandhill, rolling hill, and flatwoods/savannas. Follow the links below to learn more about these remarkable habitats of the longleaf pine ecosystem.

Montane  |  Sandhills  |  Rolling Hills  |  Flatwoods/Savannas

Montane

Berry College - montane old growth 2

Montane longleaf pine was found dominating the southern and southwestern slopes (though not confined to them) and ridgelines up to about 2000 ft. elevation in north Alabama and northwest Georgia. This habitat also includes an isolated ridge starting at Pine Mountain, GA and extending to Thomson, GA. Since much of longleaf pine's northern boundary is found in this habitat type, the forest is seen to subtly grade from a pure longleaf pine overstory to an overstory of mixed southern pines at its fringes. About 20 % of the pre-settlement longleaf pine ecosystem was covered by this habitat type.

Soils

The soils in which montane longleaf grow are well drained with beds of flinty pebbles, sandstone ridges and even rock outcrops. In particular, they grow on rocky ridges and slopes that contains sandstone, quartzite, phyllite, mica schist and gneiss.

Common Plants

Broomstraws, bluestems, goat's rue, bracken ferns, rushes, sedges, and sensitive briar

Common Trees and Shrubs

Scarlet oak, mountain blueberry, mountain laurel, American chestnut, blackjack oak, Virginia pine, shortleaf pine, pig nut hickory, mockernut hickory, rock chestnut oak, and southern red oak

Fire Frequency

One to five years; fire either crept down ridgelines or roared up steep slopes

Without Fire

Quickly turns into a hardwood/mixed pine forest (especially Virginia and shortleaf pines)

Sandhills

Walthour Moss Sandhills

The Sandhills are characterized as ridges of loose, porous sand that begin in southern Virginia and runs through west Georgia at about 500 to 600 feet above sea level. Isolated sand ridges also exist in the Florida panhandle and peninsula. Longleaf pine sandhills are characterized as a forest of widely spaced pine trees with a fire-stunted understory of deciduous (scrub) oaks and a sparse to continuous ground cover of bunchgrasses and herbs. Today, sandhill longleaf sites make up some of the largest acreages of the remaining longleaf pine habitat (despite comprising roughly 10% of the original landscape).

Soils

Sandhill soils are droughty, deep beds of white sands that are relatively low in fertility and result (often) in lower species diversity and usually shorter longleaf pine. In some areas sands can be 2-15 feet deep. In some areas of the Carolinas, sands can be 100 - 150 feet deep without changing.

Common Plants

Pricky pear cactus, wiregrass, bluestems, hairsedge, piney woods dropseed, gopher apple, golden aster, hairawn muhly, pineland phlox, sandhill lupine, bird's foot violet, dwarf iris, fringed bluestar, pinebarren frostweed, pineland wild indigo, man-root (morning glory), sandhill roseling, orange-fringed orchids, yellow-eyed grasses, narrowleaf sabatia, threadleaf gererdia, goat's rue, butterfly pea, and Carolina indigo

Common Trees and Shrubs

Turkey oak, bluejack oak, southern red oak, blackjack oak, sand post oak, myrtle oak, Arkansas oak, mockernut hickory, sand hickory, black cherry, sassafras, blackberry, sparkleberry, persimmon, low-bush blueberry, and pawpaw

Fire Frequency

Two to seven years carried almost exclusively by bunch grasses

Without Fire

Usually succeeds to canopy-dominated by scrub oaks (like turkey oak)

Rolling Hills

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Characterized as having a sufficiently rolling habitat to insure good drainage. Often very productive sites capable of producing excellent longleaf pine timber. Found at 130 to 250 feet above sea level. It is speculated that 30% of the pre-settlement landscape was rolling hill habitat.

Soils

Brown, sandy loam uplands 10 - 15 inches in depth, often with fossiliferous materials. In some areas, the underlying parent material is limestone. Occasionally, limestone pushes through the sandy loam and forms outcroppings.

Common Plants

Beargrass, bluestems, wiregrass, rattlebox, dollar pea, lespedeza, candyroot, procession flower, orange milkwort, pinebarren, and goldenrod

Common Trees and Shrubs

Blackjack oak, turkey oak, willow oak, sand post oak, southern red oak, Florida dogwood, mockernut hickory, black hickory, persimmon, gallberry, yaupon, and wax myrtle

Fire Frequency

One to three years; numerous native bunchgrasses to help carry fire

Without Fire

Hardwoods (often willow oak or sweet gum) capture the forest midstory and overstory shading out ground cover plants

Flatwoods and Savannas

20190126_111421

Characterized as high-density, longleaf pine-dominated forests, the surface is very level, poorly drained and often interspersed with frequent and (sometimes large) swampy patches or wet prairies. Flatwoods can start just above the tidewater and extend inland to about 130 feet above sea level. Productivity is high and longleaf pines reach heights above 120 feet. This longleaf pine habitat type has the highest diversity of ground cover of herbs and shrubs. Since the soils are relatively poorly drained and typically have low reserves of available nutrients, numerous orchids and carnivorous plants are common in the ground cover. These habitats are often described as both the Atlantic Coastal Flatwoods and the Gulf Coastal Flatwoods.

Soils

With moderately to poorly drained terrain, the soils are typically acidic, have low reserves of available nutrients, are low in organic matter content, and maintain an ash-colored silty clay appearance.

Common Plants

Tarflower, wiregrass, toothache grass, bluestems, silk grass, hatpins, muhly grass, pineweeds, pitcher plants, sundews, flytraps, Catesby's lily, white star grass, morning glory, milkweeds, quail pea, butterfly pea, goat's rue, lespedezas, iron weed, and deer tongue

Common Trees and Shrubs

Water oak, sweet gum, red maple, ash, saw palmetto, gallberry, fetterbush, wax myrtle, yaupon, ilex, dwarf live oak, sweet bay, titi, southern magnolia, persimmon, black gum, creeping blueberry, blackberry.

BROWSE THIS SECTION

  • The Tree
    • Life Stages
    • The Economics
    • The History
    • The Misconceptions
  • The Ecosystem
    • Built by Fire
    • Habitats
    • Species Diversity
  • Restoration & Management
    • Groundcover Restoration
    • Herbicides
    • Longleaf Regeneration
    • Prescribed Fire
  • Photo Gallery

From our feed

Another awesome learning opportunity for your cale Another awesome learning opportunity for your calendar -  this time in Georgia!The Longleaf Management Field Day at Dixon Memorial State Forest on May 25th  will include discussions and stops to observe site prep considerations, the effects of prescribed fire, and forest resource opportunities including pine straw production. If you currently have longleaf on your property or are considering planting it, this is a great opportunity to learn more.Topics will include:– Site Preparation– Wildlife Habitat Management– Prescribed Burning– Income Streams– Cost-Share ProgramsHosted in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, Okefenokee-Osceola Local Implementation, Georgia Tree Farm, and Georgia Conservancy. Sign up at longleafalliance.org > events (link in bio).P.S. This event is great compliment to two FREE events happening this week: Longleaf Management Virtual Webinar on May 18th and the Forestry & Wildlife Expo on May 21st!
Are you a landowner who currently has longleaf pin Are you a landowner who currently has longleaf pine on your property or are you considering planting it?How you choose to manage your longleaf can depend on your property, objectives, management costs, potential income, and any available financial incentives.Join The Longleaf Alliance and our partners on May 18th for a one-hour virtual webinar discussing longleaf pine management:– Managing Longleaf for Timber – Mark McClellan, Georgia Forestry Commission– Managing Longleaf for Wildlife – Anthony Kroeger, Georgia Department of Natural Resources– Managing Longleaf for Non-Timber Resources – Wendy Ledbetter, The Longleaf AllianceThis FREE virtual event is hosted by the Okefenokee-Osceola Local Implementation Team with sponsorship by The Nature Conservancy. Advanced registration is required. Sign up now at longleafalliance.org > events (link in bio).
Growing-season prescribed fire can promote viable Growing-season prescribed fire can promote viable wiregrass seed production, increase wildflower abundance, and control hardwoods. 🔥For sites that have already seen winter burns, evaluate the stands for desired fire effects. If you are not satisfied with the results, you may consider a shift in the timing of your burning. Watch this video to hear why Jerome Murphy did so!P.S. Watch the full prescribed fire video on our YouTube channel (link in bio).
Who inspires you in the longleaf community? Cele Who inspires you in the longleaf community? Celebrate those worthy individuals and teams while also giving them a platform to inspire others in the entire longleaf community! Nominations for the 🏆 2022 Regional Longleaf Award 🏆 are being accepted until June 10th! Details at longleafconference.com > awards (link in bio)
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